IWP

Independent Writing Project

Martin Drob 811

Sample Question- Who was I? Who am I? Who do I want to be?

Well, at the beginning of sixth grade I vaguely remember the person I was. I had long hair, glasses, and I didn’t really care what people thought of me. Zoom forward about three years and here I am. Cleaned up short hair, contact lenses, and an outfit that’s screams “IM COOL, RIGHT?” Many things about me have changed, including-

·      The types of clothing I wear- now I care a lot about name brand and stuff like that. I shop in SoHo once a week with my friends. I wear jordans and bape. I have become more self-conscious. I think the reason for this is because when you go through middle school, a lot of things happen that make you not want people to judge you.

·      Independence from my parents- I want to be independent from my parents really badly. They nag me all the time and it gets really annoying. I know that I’m still a kid and that I’m ignorant and I don’t know the rules of life and stuff. I get that. But its really hard to live with people that drive you completely crazy half the time.

·      Letting go of many friends- in the long journey that is middle school I gave up many friends. I’m also going to have to give up many friends once I leave middle school and go to high school. Over the last 3 years I have probably befriended 100 people. I can call 20 of those my friend now, it’s a very sad thought.

Overall, I definitely have changed so much as a person since three years ago. It makes me sad to think about that kid who walked into 51 for the first time.

Non fiction Response

Reading Response

In the article “Apollo 11 hoax: one in four people do not believe in moon landing” it explains how many conspiracy theories point out that there is some evidence to show that the “Apollo moon landings” were faked and staged by NASA. This article also explains how one out of every four people believe that the Apollo moon landings were in fact faked.

Conspiracy theorists have pointed to a number of flaws in the pictures and footage from the Apollo missions as proof that the moon landings were staged.For instance, the US flag planted by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was said to be waving in a breeze, which should not have been possible on the airless moon. Nasa's response was that the flag waved a little when deployed due to residual momentum from contact with the astronauts, not because of windy weather.

Another question mark over the lack of dust kicked up by the lunar module was explained by the fact that the craft's rocket exhaust fired out sideways rather than straight down. There are other examples of why the Apollo moon landings were faked. People even go as far to accuse Stanley Kubrick (a very famous director) to be the person that directed the fake moon landings. 

Reading response (Non Fiction #2)

Reading Response

            Jay Leno is being replaced by Jimmy Fallon in 2014. The long time host has been treading water for a few years and NBC has looked to replace himThis isn't the first time NBC has tried to replace Leno. This isn't the first time NBC has tried to replace Leno. In 2009, Conan O’brian succeeded Leno as host only to have Leno reclaim the job several months later. O'Brien now hosts a show on the TBS cable channel.

           

            Unlike O'Brien, who moved from New York to Los Angeles when he landed the "Tonight Show" gig, Fallon is expected to remain in New York. An NBC spokeswoman confirmed that a new studio is being built for Fallon. This is a very big sign. It show that NBC has a lot of hope in Jimmy Fallon as a host. Fallon formerly was on “Saturday Night Live”.  A live comedy show on NBC.

            Leno has been getting a lot of criticism lately. People are claiming that his opening monologues aren’t “up to par”. I personally do not believe that it’s fair he is being replaced. He’s been with NBC forever. But I do suppose everything must end. Im looking forward to see Jimmy Fallon back in NBC.

            

Reading response #1 (march)

Reading Response

            In the Novel Exit Here the main character definitely learns a lot by the end of the book. The way he led his life, was the basic teenage American dream. He had women and money. He’s only 19. His parents have put up with him until now. He has to go back to college because he flunked and they’re making him go to a school in Los Angeles.

            One example of something he has learned is not to take things for granted. He has everything anyone would ever want. But he still wants more. I don’t understand his thinking. He has a great girlfriend and everything you would ever possibly want in life. But he still wants more. He doesn’t know what he wants. He just knows he wants something more.

            Another thing he has learned is that he has to appreciate friendships. Many of his closest friends stopped being friends with him. His friend Kyle was driving drunk and crashed his car. He killed the passenger and two other people. His friend Cliff killed his girlfriend, and then committed suicide. His friend Claire told him she had feelings for him and he reacted terribly to this.

            In conclusion after all that has happened I can’t stop feeling pity for this character. His story gets more sad after ever page. I feel saddened after ever social encounter he has.

           

Reading Response

Reading Response

            The main character in my book takes for granted everything that he has in life. His name is Travis and he is a very weird and depressed person, the way he confronts people also surprises me. As everyone else as describes him how he used to be is very different to what he is now. Before he left the city, he was a party animal and he was crazy. But when he returned to the city he has been very quiet and not into partying. Several events have taken place that has made him quite depressed since his arrival.

            One example of an event that has plagued him is he found out that his girlfriend for 5 years, Laura slept with his best friend Ciff. She got pregnant and needed to get an abortion. Cliff didn’t have the money so what better person to ask than his rich best friend Travis. That’s right; Cliff and Laura got the money for an abortion from Travis. Without him knowing it. That is one example.

            Another example is that Kyle; one of his close friends was driving drunk and crashed into a house and killed his girlfriend (who was in the passenger seat) and two toddlers playing inside the house. When he visited Kyle in jail, Kyle looked utterly terrible. It was very hard for him to cope with the fact that one of his closest friends is in jail.

            In conclusion, I feel bad for Travis but at the same time I don’t. He can get any girl he wants and he’s very rich.  His girlfriend is very sorry for what she did and if he loved her, I think he should forgive her.

            

Non fiction Reading Response #2

Non-Fiction Reading Response

           

            I recently read and article that talked about comparing LeBron James to Michael Jordan. These two players have both huge fan bases and both have skills that exceed everyone they played with in their time. Michael Jordan played in the 1990s. LeBron James is a contemporary player. The argument as to who is a better and more skilled basketball player has been thrown around for a while now.

            Jim Boeheim, who was the coach for the 2012 USA Olympic team has stated that he believes LeBron James is a better player than Jordan was. "He's a leader. He gets on the court, he tells people what to do … this guy can guard five [positions] … put him on anybody, he can guard him. I always felt Michael Jordan was the best player I've ever seen … I didn't think it was close … and I'm not so sure anymore … this guy is 6-9, 260 pounds and he's getting better … I know we've had great, great players through the years. He's like Magic Johnson with Michael Jordan-type skills as well." Stated Boeheim. Many people believe that he is not at all at the position to make that claim. But some people believe he is. He is a coach that was been watching basketball players for over 35 years.

            The real difference between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is scoring. James is nowhere near Jordan’s scoring skills. Jordan took, and made; Far 2s and 3 pointers. LeBron can’t do that at a consistent rate. The one thing Lebron has on Jordan is that he is a better defender and much more athletically built. If Lebron drives in to score, he will score. 

            

Non Fiction Blog Post

Non-fiction Reading Response

           

            In “The Greatest: Muhammad Ali” it tells the story of a man who led a very intriguing life to read about. The book tells the story of Muhammad Ali’s fighting record as well as his involvement with the “Nation of Islam” and his theories and opinions of Segregations and civil rights. Muhammad Ali was born on January 17 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. He was born “Cassius Clay” but later changed his named to “Muhammad Ali”, the name he is normally referred to as. He changed his name because he was involved in “the Nation of Islam.” He is referred to as “the people’s fighter” because he generally favored the views of the public.

Usually when The U.S enters a war an American fighter is asked to do staged matches in front of the U.S military as entertainment. But when Muhammad Ali was asked by the government to do that, he refused. He said that because of his political views he would not participate in anything relating to the war. This shocked everyone.

No boxer had ever had political views. Nor did they ever question the U.S government. This was a first. Muhammed Ali led an amazing life. He was and still is an icon in America’s history. This book definitely illustrates Muhammad Ali’s life in a inspriring and amazing way. 

Reading Response (Last of second quarter)

Reading Response

I am reading the book When You Reach Me By Rebecca Stead. The main character, Miranda lives with her mom in a small apartment in Manhattan. Her mother is single and is a paralegal. She is preparing to go on a show called “20,000 $ Pyramid.” Miranda has been receiving letters from an unnamed character. These letters describe events before they happen. The first letter explained that Miranda’s mom was going to go on a TV Show called “20,000 $ Pyramid.” She received this letter a few weeks before her mother even received a letter from the TV show.

Another thing that strikes me odd about the book is a character called “The Laughing man” who appears to be a little bit crazy and who lives outside of Miranda's apartment and sleeps with his head under the mailbox. Miranda used to have a best friend named “Sal”, but their friendship oddly ended when a man in a green army coat punched Sal when they were walking back home from school.

She also receives another note that contains 3 things that will come true. One is about stolen bread rolls in Colin's backpack, the second is about the inscription on the first-edition of A Wrinkle in Time that she'll receive for Christmas, and the third is about the postcard that begins the novel. I think these details make this story interesting. I cant wait to find out who this “Secret person” is.